Hoe.



I H. A. GONGDON.-

HOE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 9, 1909.

Patented Aug. 24, 1909 UNITED sra'rns rnnr orrion'.

HENRY A. CONGDON, OF SLOCUM, RHODE ISLAND.

HOE

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, HENRY A. Common, a citizen of the United States,residing at Slocum, in the county of YVashington and State of RhodeIsland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hoes, ofwhich the following is a specification, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings.

This invention is an improved two blade scuttle-hoe, and consists of thenovel features of construction and the combination and arrangement ofparts hereinafter fully described and claimed.

The object of the invention is to provide a hoe of this character havingangular blades mounted for swinging movement toward and from each other,and having means for actu ating them as the handle is moved back andforth, whereby the operation of hoeing may be easily and effectivelyperformed.

The above and other objects of the invention are attained in itspreferred embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichFigure 1 is a plan view of the improved two blade scufiiehoe; Fig. 2 isa side elevation of the same; Figs. 3 and a are transverse sectionstaken, respectively, on the planes indicated by the lines 3-3 and H inFig. 2; and Fig. 5 is a detail perspective of one of the angular blades.

The invention comprises a suitable handle 1 to the lower end of whichare pivoted two arms 2 carrying angular hoe blades 3. Each of the blades3 preferably consists of a ver tical portion at disposed to extendlongitudinally and having its front and rear edges beveled to providecutting edges, and also a horizontal portion 5 which extends rearwardlyand outwardly at an angle from the vertical portion 1 and which also hasits front and rear edges beveled to provide cutting edges. he two hoesare preferably disposed angularly and in different transverse planeswith respect to each other, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and theirsupporting arms 2 are attached to their horizontal blade portions 5, asshown. The arms 2 are arranged angularly with respect to each other,their diverging forward ends which carry the blades being curveddownwardly and their converging rear ends being arranged in overlappingrelation to receive a bolt 6 or other pivot pin which extends through ashank 7 in the form of a metal bar prO ect- Specification of LettersPatent.

Application filed March 9, 1909.

Serial N 0. 482,347.

ing from the lower end of the handle 1. Said shank or bar 7 is square incross sec tion and has its end secured in the end of the handle, whichlatter is strengthened by a metal ferrule 8. The intermediate portionsof the arms 2 are preferably square in cross section and slidablyarranged upon them is an actuating head 9, shown more clearly in Fig. 4cof the drawings, and consisting of two separable sections 10, 11 unitedby bolts 12.

In the bottom edge of the upper section 10 are formed angularly arrangedgrooves or openings 13 for the reception of the arms 2 and in the centerof the lower section 11 is formed a groove or opening 14 for the reception of the shank 7 upon which latter the head 9 is adapted to slide.The bolts 12 effectively unite the two sections and retain the parts 2,2, 7 between them so that the head can reciprocate on said parts andthereby cause the hoe carrying arms 2 to be moved farther from or nearerto each other. In the center of the upper section 10 is an opening 16 toreceive the lower end of an operating rod 17, said lower end beingthreaded to receive nuts 18 disposed on opposite sides of the head 9,whereby the head and rod are adjustably connected. The rod 17 extendslongitudinally of the handle upon its upper side and is supported forsliding movement in guide brackets 19. The extreme upper end of the rod17 is bent to provide a thumb piece or handle 20 and surrounding saidportion of the rod between the bent end or handle 20 and the upper guide19 is a coil spring 21 which actuates the rod upwardly and thereby tendsto move the head 9 inwardly upon the diverging arms 2 to spread theirblade carrying ends apart. A cotter pin 22 is arranged in the rod andadapted to engage the uppermost guide 19 to serve as a stop to limit theupward movement of the rod under the action of the spring 21 and henceto limit the outward or spreading movement of the hoe carrying arms.

In operation, the hoe is moved forward and backward by means of thehandle, the blades being disposed on opposite sides of the row of plantsbeing hoed and, by pressing downwardly upon the thumb piece or handle20, the blades may be moved closer to each other to operate closer tothe plant between them. The spring 21 tends to hold the blades apart butowing to the adjustable connection between the rod and the slidingPatented Aug. 24, 1909.

head 9, the amount of opening between the blades may be increased ordecreased as desired.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the invention provides anexceedingly simple and practical two blade scuflie-hoe which may beproduced at small cost and will be strong and durable in use.

Vhile I have shown and described in de tail the preferred embodiment oi'the invention, it will be understood that I do not Wish to be limited tothe precise construction set forth and that various changes in the form,proportion, arrangement of parts and the details of construction may beresorted to Without departing from me spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is:

l. A scuflie-hoe comprising a handle, a longitudinally projecting shankcarried thereby, a transverse cross bar or head having its centralportion slidably engaged with said shank and its end portions formedWith openings, a pair of rearwardly converging hoe carrying armsarranged in the openings of said cross bar and having their rear endspivotally mounted and an operating means upon the handle and connectedto said cross bar or head.

2. A scuttle-hoe comprising a handle, a flat faced longitudinallyextending shank carried thereby, a pair of rearwardly converging hoecarrying arms having their rear ends pivotally mounted, a transverselyextending cross bar slidable upon said shank and consisting of separableparts formed in their opposing faces with recesses, one of the latterbeing centrally arranged and adapted to slidably receive said flat facedshank and the other two being adapted to slidably re coive said arms,removable fastenings uniting the parts of said sectional cross bar orhead, and an operating means upon the handle and connected to said crossbar or head.

3. an implement of the character described comprising a handle,diverging arms pivoted thereto and carrying hoe blades, a sliding headcarried by the handle and engaged with said arms for actuating themtoward and from each other, an operating rod upon the handle, anadjustable connection between said rod and said head, a spring foractuating the head and rod in one direction and means for limiting themovement of said head and rod under the action of said spring.

d. An implement of the character described comprising a handle, a shankprojecting therefrom, a sliding head on said shank and formed Withopenings, blade carrying arms pivoted to the shank and slidable in saidopenings in the head, an operating rod upon the handle to actuate thehead in one direction and a spring for actuating said head and rod inthe other direction.

5. An implement of the character described comprising a handle, a shankprojecting therefrom, a sliding head on said shank and formed withopenings, blade carrying arms pivoted to the shank and slidable in saidopenings in the head, an operating rod upon the handle to actuate thehead in one direction, an adjustable connection between said rod andhead, aspring for actuating the rod and head in the other direction andmeans for limiting the movement of the rod under the action of saidspring.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses. HENRY A. CONGDON. Nitnesses:

JOHN E. BABCOCK, KATHERINE L. RODENAN.

